


Princess

by ElsieMcClay



Series: Voltron Fics [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allurance can be platonic i guess??, Depression, F/M, Insomnia, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 21:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12639168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElsieMcClay/pseuds/ElsieMcClay
Summary: Allura can't sleep.  Lance can't either.





	Princess

**Author's Note:**

> Originally for voltronwhumpweek2017 :)

Allura didn’t know her bones could get tired let alone as tired and heavy as they are now. Maybe it’s a human thing. A sickness she caught from one of her paladins. She doubts that, though, because none of the paladins have been sick, and there aren’t any other humans in space (except probably the Holts), so she’s really quite bewildered. She feels fine other than the fact that she feels like her bones have been filled with the heaviest of metals and her mind keeps telling her that she doesn’t want to do anything when she knows she has to. It’s honestly miserable. 

Taking down the training bots on her first go doesn’t give her the feeling of pride anymore. It’s all just so bland. She’s unusually tired, but she can’t seem to get herself to sleep. It’s all so tiresome, even the things she has to do to stay alive. She’s stopped eating and sleeping as much, but she can’t bring herself to care. She wonders if this is some alien virus. Then again, she probably knows every alien virus and then some. Coran is a very knowledgeable man, and he talks about anything and everything. Don’t get her wrong. Allura loves learning about the stuff Coran is passionate about, and she usually listens intently, but she’s just been spacing out when he, or anyone really, talks to or around her. 

She feels like a bad leader. She has to save the universe, make sure that no planet turns out like her own because she knows how much that hurts, but she just doesn’t want to. She can’t find the energy, and she can’t sleep, but she presses on. 

There’s probably a word for what she’s feeling. Maybe the paladins know what it is or how to make it better, but she doesn’t say anything in fear of seeming weak and unfit for leading. She knows she might be the fittest in the universe for this job (not to be cocky, but she’s done pretty well thus far), but she’s too tired to take that fact into account.

It’s not that she can’t sleep. It’s more like once she falls asleep, she can’t stay asleep. Her mind forces her to wake up after what feels like only dobashes asleep. She finds herself wandering the halls late at night. 

Sometimes, Pidge will be up, too, but they’ll be on the way to their room. Hunk will be up getting water some nights. Keith trains late at night, and Shiro has nightmares–a lot more since they got him back, too. She sees Lance the most, though. They never talk or even look at each other. 

Allura feels more than alone in the relative silence of the castle. The vast amount of hallways (which Pidge sometimes compares to an old Earth book called Harry Potter because of the ones that sometimes just appear without anyone knowing where they go) makes her feel all the more lost and alone and kind of sad and weighed down. 

Training is getting harder. Her movements are sluggish, and she’s weaker than an Altean infant. How humiliating. She can see the greenish tint to her Altean markings, a sign of sleep deprivation. She can’t hide her problem for much longer, and she knows it. Coran has been giving her looks that remind her a little too much of the royal doctor back on Altea. 

“Hey, uh, Princess, can we talk?” Lance mumbles at breakfast one morning. It had been a particularly restless night for her, and he looks almost sickly pale. Allura just nods, and she follows. It takes her a moment more than Lance to get to the hall even though they’re about the same height. She’s just so tired. 

“I know what you’re feeling. Sleep feels impossible, and you’re so tired that you don’t feel like existing, but dying takes way too much energy. It’s called insomnia and depression. There’s nothing wrong with you, I promise, and you’re not weak. It’s not an uncommon thing on Earth, and it’s not treatable, but there are medications you can take, y’know, but my meds are on Earth, so there’s nothing we can really do.” He looks down at his feet. “Just know you’re not weak or anything, okay?” Allura nods with a soft smile. She feels a little better, too. 

“Thank you, Lance. It is nice to know I am not alone in my struggles.” Lance nods at her, and that night, she finds herself recounting stories and myths of Altea with Lance. At one point, she’s laying on the couch with him, mostly asleep. Lance leans over and kisses her on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams, Princess.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr at elsiemcclay!!!


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